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In a display of how to properly use the private member’s ballot in the House of Commons, Sir Desmond Swayne brought his Infants, Parents, and Carers Bill to the Chamber for its Second Reading. It passed unopposed.
The legislation, commonly known as the ‘Babies Bill’ sets out a number of provisions which would aid the development of British children in the first 1,001 days of their lives, from conception. If passed the Bill would require the publicly funded provision of services to aid pregnancy and childbirth, the health and developmental needs of infants, and the relationship between an infant and parents and carers in England and Wales.
The Bill would compel governments to present each year the provisions they are making in line with the Act to parliament.
After a debate the Bill was passed unanimously with cross-party support.
MPs were encouraged to support the move by organisations such as the Royal College of Physicians, the Twins Trust, the Other Half, and SPUC.
The organisation that is supporting Sir Desmond in passing the Bill, 1,001 Critical Days, says that their desire is “to provide an enduring legal foundation for support already being delivered through Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies programme, as it relates to pregnancy and the first two years.”
They explain the rationale behind the strange 1,001 figure, saying:
The 1,001 Critical Days – from pregnancy to age two – are a time of astonishing growth. During this short window, a baby’s brain develops faster than at any other stage, laying the foundations for lifelong health, learning and wellbeing.
This knowledge isn’t new. Decades of research across disciplines – from attachment theory to neuroscience – have shown how vital these early experiences are. A baby’s relationships, environment and experiences during this time shape everything from their stress response system to their immune system, and their social, emotional and cognitive development.
Labour MP for Washington and Gateshead South, Mrs Sharon Hodgson (who voted for abortion up-to-birth in June 2025), spoke in favour of this Bill, which would aid the development of babies from conception, saying, “I know from my work with George and the WAVE Trust when I was shadow Children and Families Minister that the period from conception to age two is absolutely the age of opportunity. By age two, 80% of a baby’s brain development has happened. That lays the foundations for attachment, learning, health, wellbeing, stress responses and more. It is therefore essential that the most effective support is provided during this vital time.”
She continued, “For babies to thrive, their parents and carers need to be supported. After all, they are directly responsible for the development of their babies during this most critical period of their lives. Their relationship, stress levels, responsive care and more will unequivocally influence the development and growth of their babies. They are therefore the foundation of our society. Evidence shows that parents’ perceptions of their foetuses are associated with the quality of the relationships built after birth. That highlights the key relationship between maternal foetal attachment and later outcomes.”
She ended her correct and poignant remarks with, “It is important because every child is precious and deserving of love and security.”
This Bill comes in stark contrast to another private member’s bill making its way through the House of Commons concurrently, Lauren Edwards’ Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. With the support of the filthy rich organisation Dignity in Dying it has been resurrected with a goal of ignoring the will of the House of Lords and bringing an unamended and dangerous Bill into law that is expected to lead to the deaths of over 4,000 Brits every year.
SPUC’s Executive Director Michael Robinson commented on the passage of the Bill, saying: “We congratulate Sir Desmond Swayne MP on the Babies Bill passing its Second Reading today. We also thank all our supporters who wrote to their MPs and helped secure this important step forward.
“This is exactly how precious parliamentary time should be used: protecting vulnerable lives and supporting babies and their families, not facilitating premature death through assisted suicide.
“With only one week until MPs debate and vote on assisted suicide, we strongly urge everyone to keep writing, emailing and phoning their MP. Every contact matters, and every vote will count.”
